I’ve got the bug to build a new rod, and I’m considering a 6’6" 2wt since I have nothing less than a 4wt now, but I’m wondering just how practical it would be. I’m interested in hearing the pros and cons of a light weight rod, beyond how useful it would be in small mountain streams. Any input for me to consider?
Lots of threads on light rods in the archives, with lots of arguments, heated discussion, etc. Personally, I enjoy using light rods in many situations. Including catching big fish. The shortness is not my preference, though. I had a 6’6" 2 for a couple years, and had a ball with it. But man you had to whip it to get line speed up.
DG
Some folks love um. I can leave um. While I own 1 and 2 wt rods they are a poor choice if wind is a problem or if you choose to throw a bit of weight or make a long (40+') cast.
Other wise catching fish with one begs the question “who has who?”
I guess it depends on what you use it for. I have a 2 wt. that I use for blue gill and I love it!
I love my Winston LT Two Weight. I use it for dry fly fishing small flys on small free stone and spring creek trout streams. It puts a dry fly on the water with more finesse than the heavier rods and is much more forgiving on very light tippets usually required by such waters.
Get one! Your going love it if you fish these smaller waters. 
Max
Go for it!!
I have a 6’ 3wt. that’s just “WAYYY” too heavy. I love the little rod, but wish it was a little lighter. However, it is an absolute blast to cast and fish that little stick.
Ya’ either love little sticks or ya’ don’t… & there’s only one way to find out.
VERY! And twice the fun.
I had a LM grab a panfish fly 2 seasons ago and when I realeased her she was 6 1/2 lbs…on a 1wt Sage SPL!! Wasn’t intentional but it turned into the best fight of my life…to include a few muskies on heavier gear.
You’ll have a blast! 1-3wts are wonderful panfish tools.
Jeremy.
I like mine, and for some kinds of fishing, nothing could be more practical. I have a 6’6 2wt that is just great for some of the summer fishing I do around here - it gets a lot of use. It’s really a matter of personal preference.
I have a 3wt 7’6" superfine by orvis. I beleive it weighs in at .5 OZ. I throw it all day and love the sucker. I have used it on many streams and and rivers from the Delaware, Beverkill, Battenkill, Farmington, and tons of no names, to ponds and lakes and never had a problem casting to get to fish. It is very soft but still has enough to punch out a roll cast when I need it. Sans wind I can reach a little more than 50’ out with a long leader and a double taper. With wind I either wade closer or wait to cast inbetween gusts. I can honestly say I have never wished it was heavier, faster, or longer while fishing. I don’t know if I would like something lighter, but I have never tried either. This is one of 2 rods I still have in my possetion and the other is a 9 wt for salmon, steelhead, and saltwater. I’d like a few others to fill in the gap, but again have never actually needed them. It is only a want. So an extra rod in a 2 wt. You may just build yourself a new love. Goodluck with it.
Dave;
I have a Forecast 4 pc 6.5’ 2 wt that is a hoot to fish! Caught 8 trout, 2 Blue Gills and a Black Perch on the Duck River last Sunday. The wind was a little stiff and it was sort of like taking marshmellows to a rock throwing contest but the furled leader helped turn over the large nymphs we were using.
It is a kit from H&H which can be ready to fish in a couple of days
Just do it!! You’ll have fun!!
I’ll add this…It’s well worth it to put forth the money for a sage quiet taper line for 3 wt’s on down, Very well oriented line designs for the light weights…and max’s your casting proformance…used to use heavier line from other companies, trying to get what these lines, actually deliver…just a humble opinion though.
I love my little 6’6 2wt. If I concerned myself with how “practical” a purchase is, I would still be fishing with a cheap spinning rod and live bait. THAT’S the only true practical fishing, the rest of what we do is just plain fun! :lol:
Joe
PA DAVE,
Very practical, especially if you want to fish all day and go home with energy reserves.
Here’s a good site for excellent information on the subject: http://www.byrdultrafly.com/
If it’s an IM6 you’re building, you can overline it 2 sizes for wind with no problem. A buddy built a Cabela’s Stowaway 8’6" 3wt. for me
two years ago. He dropped the butt section which made it 6’ 10". Yesterday I was casting an Orvis Wonderline WF6F and it was alive!
That was just an experiment, I cast a Wulff TT WF5F as a rule.
Try it, you’ll like it!!!
Jim
I originally thought a 2 wt was a joke to try to fish. Too light to do any good, don’t breathe too hard you won’t be able to cast etc. But then I thought with the small Bluegill in our local park lakes it might be fun - if the wind isn’t blowing.
So I built a 6’ 6" 2 wt kit from Hook & Hackle. I was quite surprised. It really cast well and is a real pleasure to fish. It’s now one of my favorite rods! I built more to give to my friends - they love it too.
Good reading on light rods and what can be done with them. I’ve talked with Bill on the phone quite a bit, and he’ll have you thinking a 3wt is heavy and you should go lighter.
If you’ll be fishing it on small mountain streams, you won’t have much need for distance casts. Even windy conditions aren’t the killer they are on bigger waters. I built a 6’6"2# from Hook and Hackle for myself then turned around and built 4 more after friends tried it out, loved it, and wanted one!! Always in my quiver when fishing!
Practical? You betcha!!
practical |?praktik?l| adjective 1 of or concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory and ideas : there are two obvious practical applications of the research. ? (of an idea, plan, or method) likely to succeed or be effective in real circumstances; feasible : neither of these strategies is practical for smaller businesses. ? suitable for a particular purpose : a practical, stylish kitchen.
A stylish kitchen to cook the brookies that don’t come from ugly places?
Well … yaaahhhaa! <said with the dialectical materialism of a So Cal girl, flipping hair back over her shoulder!>
Two Pros for “flea rods:”
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Excellent for delicate presentations.
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Great fun with small fish.
One Con for “flea rods:”
- It prolongs the ordeal of landing large fish and requires “playing the fish to exhaustion.” As I found it in another source:
"Fighting Your Catch
"Today’s fishing gear is a marvel of technological achievement; graphite rods and ultra-thin monofilament line have the strength and resilience of old-fashioned equipment twice their size. These days, battling a five pound bass on lightweight tackle isn’t only possible - it’s a breeze! But consider the ramifications; biologists have found that “playing out” a game fish to the point of exhaustion often proves fatal to the fish. Even though the fish may swim away upon release, it’s weakened to the point that it may become prey to other fish or prone to disease. On the other hand, studies show that survival rates of fish released with some spark of life left in them are excellent. Knowledgeable, release-minded anglers, therefore, match their tackle to the task: that is, they use heavy enough equipment to play the fish quickly and efficiently, and, in turn, are able to release their catch in better shape.
“When fighting your catch, keep constant pressure on the fish. Pump up with the rod, reel down and pump again. Don’t just reel and reel. Let the drag do its job as the fish makes a run. Set your drag to slip just a bit on a good run, but stay light enough to turn the fish when you need to. Play him, but control him! Get the fish up and unhooked and back into the water as quickly as possible.”
There is a great deal of romance in light tackle angling going back at least 50-60 years. (It would have been a fly rod for IFI (IFG wf) line back then.) Therefore, given the tradition, it is no surprise that folks still brag about whipping large fish on 0-4 wt. rods and fine (2#) 7x tippets. The equivalent mystique exists in other UL fishing also. However, I ask an even older question,“Cui bono?” I think the time is past when we can allow ourselves to play a fish the way a cat plays with a mouse. With the existing levels of fishing pressure on our waters, there are no more spare fish to fill the gap when an overplayed fish perishes.
So IMHO use the little rods for the little fish for which they were designed. Otherwise,"use heavy enough equipment to play the fish quickly and efficiently.’
What he said!
I love the lightweight for small fish in small streams, and for pond bluegills. It’s also a good rod to teach little ones with on the bluegill pond. I also keep an eye on the season as early season and late season on my favorite spring creek has some BIG surprises, so I leave the two weight home when there is a chance that a migratory lunker might be in the creeks. I did get one last year as they moved in earlier than I had expected, and I had already made the decision to break off the fight within in a couple of minutes if I couldn’t get it in. Lucky for me, there was no room for the fish to run because of low water so it was in the net in less than three minutes. (steelhead). One other time I landed a big large mouth bass on it but I had to put the rod down and hand line it to land it. It had taken a swipe at a bluegill that just hooked up and it got hooked on the fly.